Heroes Fanfiction: Volume 4- Fugitives

Glenn’s Story1

“Honey? I think you should have a look at this...”2

Mum came out of the kitchen, a look of curiosity etched onto her pale, oval face. 3

“What’s wrong dear? Is it that financial crisis again?” She asked, voicing her concern over the government’s handling of their taxes. 4

“No... it’s more important than that.” Mum’s face changed instantly from curiosity to apprehension. Nothing made her freak out like that, especially since in her eyes the global financial crisis was more important than anything. As I watched her, I noticed that her face muscles were tightened: a sign that she was stressed. Her eyes, however, were relaxed and that mean that she was still remotely aware of her surroundings; namely me and Jaimy. 5

Her eyes flicked over towards me and Jaime at the dinner table, but I had already hastily bent back over my homework. Using my peripherals, I noticed that she watched me for a few more seconds before dad suddenly called out, “Jane, quick!”6

She rushed into the living room. I frowned as I heard the frantic whispers and muffled talking emitting from the room. It was hurried and very strained. 7

Shaking my head, I turned back to my Grade 10 Algebra homework. I hated it; the subject, the teacher and the stupid, stupid fractions they made me do. But, my dad forced me to do it, so I had to (grudgingly) accept.8

You can realise that I’m 15 years old, what with my Grade 10 homework. I’m actually tall for my age, with brown hair and blonde highlights (they look awesome, okay?). There’s not much else to tell you; I’m an average student at my high school, I get Bs and Cs like every other kid in my class. I have a casual position at the local grocery store, and my manager, Mrs. Dean, also happens to be my next door neighbour. 9

Yes, I’m very normal... the only un-normal thing about me is the fact that I can... well, I have powers. Not those kind of powers where superheroes blast villains out of the air with fireballs or thunder, but I’m able to predict people’s movements... just by observing the tiny movements in their body. Just by doing this, I can sense their next movements, where they will move to, or even dodge attacks from them; trust me, it has happened before.10

I looked over at my sister, Jaimy and saw that, as usual, she was colouring in her book. She was a strange little girl, and I still hadn’t figured her out... in more ways than one. Although she was only 7, she was quite intelligent for her age, and according to her teacher, we should have put her in a school where they ‘nurtured’ her gift. Mum and dad didn’t want to; they preferred for her to live her life as normally as possible. 11

Although her chestnut brown hair shielded her face from my eyes, I could tell she was looking at me; her hand, in which she held a green crayon and was scribbling furiously moments before, had slowed down. I didn’t bother looking away though. I just continued to stare at her until she stopped drawing altogether and looked up at me with an over exaggerated annoyed expression on her face. I couldn’t help but laugh quietly.12

“Why were you looking at me just before?” She demanded.13

“No reason,” I replied calmly, as I played with a strand of my dark brown hair, “I just felt like watching you.”14

Jaimy narrowed her eyes, but she still bent back over her book, her hair acting like a curtain as it once again shielded her face. I could still tell she was watching me... every now and then, at least.15

“Dammit Jason Ray Lewis, NO!”16

I tensed up. Although it was a whispered shout, I could still hear from here. Hell, they were in the room next to us anyways. I looked over at Jaimy, and she too harboured a look of confusion, but she shrugged and went back to her book. I, however, was not as easily distracted, so I quietly tiptoed over to the living room as I heard mum and dad’s quietly agitated conversation begin again. Something must have really worked them up; mum hardly ever called dad by his first and middle name. Hell, she hardly even called him by his first name! It was always some sort of nickname, but never, never his full name.17

I peeked into the room, and saw that dad was sitting on the edge of his lounge chair, while mum sat on one of the armrests. Both were looking intensively at the T.V screen. I drew my focus to the T.V as well, and saw the President of the United States sitting in the oval office, addressing the viewers. There was a title in the upper left hand corner, which read, “‘Specials’ Seen As Terrorist Threat” and a news slider at the bottom flashed numerous news feeds that read “President makes official statement to apprehend all so-called ‘Specials’”, “Numerous countries across the world respond varyingly to the President’s statement”, “President’s plan put into action with special armed forces apprehending all ‘Specials’” and “Crackdown on ‘Specials’ beings this week”. 18

I narrowed my eyes. ‘Specials’? Is that what they were calling us now? I wasn’t an idiot: I knew that I was more... unique than all the other students at school were. My ability... although lacked in power, was still seen as a threat, although I couldn’t see why. Now I understood why my parents were arguing... to an extent. They both knew I was... different, and obviously they were worrying about my safety. I frowned as I realised that I’d be most likely going to jail... or to some place like a jail. I wasn’t too sure about that.19

“Mum? Dad?”20

They both jumped and tried to shield the T.V away from m eyes, but I calmly said, “I saw guys. I know what’s going to happen.”21

Mum started to tear up, and she ran over to me, hugging and kissing every bit of my face she could reach, while dad just patted me awkwardly on the back.22

“Oh, my poor little baby boy... I promise I won’t let any of ‘them’ touch you...”23

“Mum, I’m fine, I just-”24

I was interrupted by a rough knocking on the door. I glanced at mum and dad briefly, before I walked over to answer the door. A police officer stood there, badge and all. I was rather surprised that they had already pegged me as a ‘Special’... how did they do it?25

“Glenn Lewis?”26

I hesitated for a brief second before answering. “...No?”27

“Don’t play smart with me boy!” he hollered and with that he swiftly pulled out his gun and shot it at me. It missed my ear by centimetres. I could actually feel the heat of the bullet, seconds after it shot into one of mum’s priceless vases. I heard frantic screaming coming from my mum, and in seconds, they were in the hallway, looking at me and the police officer in horror.28

“Hmph. That didn’t scare you huh? What are you- a psychic or something?”29

“No.” I laughed inside my head. Not even close.30

He snorted in disbelief. His gun was still held aloft, when he abruptly pointed it at my parents.31

“Your parents huh? They knew they were harbouring a terrorist?”32

Neither of them said anything. The officer snorted again. I stepped back a centimetre and the officer’s gun was pointed right at my chest again. 33

“What do you think you’re doing? I’m not gonna fall for any of this ‘nothing’ shit. You freaks are always full of surprises.” And with that, he spat on my face.34

Or, well, he tried to, as I had raised my hands to deflect the spit out of my eyes. I could feel the spittle dribbling down my wrist as I lowered my hands from my eyes. all the officer could see now, was the immense hatred that was emanating from me.35

“What the...?” he said crazily, and just before he even thought of raising his gun again, to shoot me, I head butted him right in the chest. The loud ‘OOF!’ that came from him as he fell to the ground was all that I needed to get a smile back onto my face. I turned around and saw that my parents were now holding Jaimy, who was staring at me silently. The rare silence that was exchanged between my family members was suddenly broken by a chuckka-chuckka-chuckka noise in the distance. 36

“Helicopters?!” My dad said, both surprised and outraged at the same time. however, we didn’t have the time to voice our concerns, as we heard loud hammering coming from the back door. 37

“Open your door! It’s the Special Armed Forces! If you don’t, we’ll open by other means!”38

Mum and dad shared a brief glance at each other, and they both nodded silently. 39

“I’ll open the door for them. Keep them safe darl. Be quiet you two,” she added, glancing nervously at me, and then Jaimy for a few seconds, before turning and heading silently towards the back door. 40

“C’mon guys, we need to barricade the front door,”41

“What for daddy?” Jaimy asked, as he put her down on the ground.42

“So the bad guys don’t come inside,” he said simply. 43

We helped him shove our dinner table, desk and lounge room chairs against the door. After we were done, Jaimy climbed upon the furniture to reach through and lock the door. I grimaced, while dad laughed.44

“What? It might raise our chances of survival, even if it’s by a few percent.” Dad laughed harder, while I raised an eyebrow. She had a point.45

Suddenly, screams echoed throughout the house. I raised my head in alarm, but Jaimy said calmly, “That was a man screaming you big baby. Mum’s okay still.”46

I narrowed my eyes as I thought about what she said, and I realised she was right... again. What is with that girl? Dad glanced over at me, surveyed me for a few seconds and sighed. He pulled out his wallet, and although he looked through it haphazardly, he eventually thrust it into my hand, saying,47

“Take it. Don’t worry about the costs about anything, just take it and get out of here. Use it, I don’t care.”48

“Dad, what...?”49

“It’s not safe for you here... both of you. You need to get out of here while your mum has them distracted.”50

Gunshots echoed throughout the shot. Jaimy looked worried now, and she started to suck on her thumb, whimpering. Dad looked nervously over his shoulder, and then turned his gaze back onto me.51

“I think your mum’s in trouble... I need to help her. Go on, I’ll let you out through the laundry way,” he said, and with that he lifted Jaimy up into his arms, grabbed me by the wrists, and lead us to the back of the house. As dad ushered us through the back door, he held me back for a few seconds.52

“Glenn, head out through Mrs. Dean’s yard; you know she won’t mind. There’s a hidden alleyway behind her garden shed in the corner of the yard; crawl through it and head down the alleyway for five blocks until you reach the city. Hail down a taxi and get Jaimy and yourself out of here.”53

I started to protest, but dad held up a hand. 54

“Glenn. You are too special to be confined within a jail cell, too important. You need to make something of yourself. These government agents... they will most likely hinder your movements, track you somehow. Make you are not caught. Go and see Grandma Lewis on the outskirts of town and tell her I sent you. I’m sure she’ll understand... she never seems to miss a beat she does.” Dad paused for a second, and then gave me a brief hug, before continuing. “Look after Jaimy... she’ll need you for every step of the way. But... I’m sure she’ll know that by now.”55

More gunshots and screams were heard from the house, all male. Dad ignored it, and hugged me once again, before fleeing back into the house to help mum. As I walked out, I saw Jaimy, hands on her hips, looking all important. I raised an eyebrow at her. She rolled her eyes at me, grabbed my wrists and together we raced towards Mrs. Dean’s yard.56

“You’re gonna have to move your lazy bum if we’re gonna have to escape these government agents,” she said flawlessly. I stared at her, and she rolled her eyes again. “C’mon; I wanna see grandma.”57